Preparation

In an electric mixer, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening and mix until consistency of coarse meal. Combine baking soda and buttermilk in a seperate bowl and beat with a spoon until foamy and thickened. Add buttermilk mixture to flour and beat until well blended. Do not overbeat. Mixture will be sticky. Turn out onto a well-floured board, sprinkle top of dough with flour, and pat until one-inch thick. Pour enough oil into jelly roll-type pan (approximately 11"x7") to measure 1/4 inch (or about 1/4 cup oil). In a second pan pour an equal amount of oil. Cut biscuits with cookie cutter** (See Notes) or drinking glass and roll each biscuit in the first pan of oil, then place in second pan. (Oil will cling to dough, which is desirable.) Continue cutting and rolling in oil until second pan is filled. Biscuits should be touching each other. Pat top of biscuits with oil from first pan. Bake in preheated 500 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Notes: * Make sure that the baking powder is fresh. Baking powder loses its effectiveness when stored for a long period of time. **Makes approximately 18 2" biscuits or 20 1 3/4" biscuits or 30 1 1/2" biscuits. Source: Knotts Berry Farm Cookbook by Sikking and Zeidler >From Mrs. Knotts recipe collection and served for years at Knotts Berry Farm in Southern California. Typos by Brenda Adams ; mc post 7/8/97 Recipe by: Knotts Berry Farm Cookbook Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #661 by Badams on Jul 08, 1997